The pouches may be small in size, but the presence of Zyns on campus and within student culture has rapidly escalated as this nicotine product gains popularity. Zyn, a smokeless, spitless oral nicotine pouch–has recently skyrocketed in popularity amongst middle and high school students through enticing social media promotion, especially on TikTok and Instagram. Zyn pouches, which come in flavors and levels of nicotine strength, are placed between the gums and lips, which allows nicotine to be absorbed into the bloodstream through soft tissue. These features attract teenagers, as it seems like the easiest and least harmful nicotine product. Subsequently, Zyn has crept onto the Nobles campus and the social culture among students.
By taking a closer look at the ground on campus, the presence of Zyns at Nobles becomes clear. I spoke with two Class III students, both who wish to remain anonymous, so they will be referred to as Student A and Student B. “Zyn is pretty widespread throughout the student body,” Student A said. “You definitely see Zyns in the bathrooms.” It seems social hierarchies are revealed with Zyn use: “There is totally a social culture around Zyn even at Nobles. People can be very stingy about sharing it and it shows who people actually like. It becomes a respect thing, based on who gives who Zyn,” an anonymous Class I student said. Another social effect of Zyns is peer pressure among students. The anonymous Class I student said, “There is 100% peer pressure when it comes to doing Zyns.” Additionally, gender dynamics have infiltrated Zyn culture: “Mostly guys do Zyns. I noticed that it’s not as classy for girls, and vaping is much more popular among them,” the anonymous Class I student said.
The ease of using Zyns as well as their perceived safeness appeals to teenagers and contributes to the widespread use of the product. Student A said, “There is a social culture around Zyns because Zyns are easier than smoking or more traditional forms of [nicotine]. I think kids are so attracted to it because it’s easy – you can use it during school and it’s hard to notice.” In addition to being able to use Zyns during school without detection, the product is not extremely difficult to obtain. “Obviously students get Zyn using fake IDs. Or they get it from stores that don’t card. Everyone kind of knows what the sources are,” Student A said. The easy accessibility of Zyn was echoed by several students, including common strategies of getting Zyn from people over the age of 21 and other alternatives to using fake IDs. “Kids are getting Zyn from older siblings and friends. Stores that don’t card are also ways to get it, and most people know which stores those are if they’re interested,” an anonymous Class II student said.
Social media also plays a crucial role in exposing students to Zyn. “Social media definitely promotes Zyn and shows kids that lots of people use it,” the anonymous Class II student said. Besides promotion, Zyn use has even sparked viral trends. “Zyn is really big on social media. There are trends just making collections of the different types of Zyn and Zyn challenges that people do to the point of throwing up,” the anonymous Class I student said. This online exposure encourages kids to try Zyn and further contributes to a social culture around the product.
“If a student comes to us seeking help, the
discipline piece disappears and it’s really about
the health and wellbeing of our kids.”
The impact of Zyns on health is often excluded in product exposure, preventing students from fully understanding the effects of the pouches. “I think that all nicotine products are bad, but Zyn is the best out of them,” the anonymous Class II student said. Zyns have been marketed as a better version of other nicotine and tobacco products because there is no need to spit and the pouches do not emit odor, smoke, or vapor. Student B said, “I don’t know that much about Zyns, but from what I’ve heard it doesn’t mess up your lungs as badly as smoking or vaping.” This is a common sentiment among students, showing the widespread impact of Zyn’s strategic marketing toward younger people.
As a result of the trending use of Zyns and the social culture surrounding it, the risk of Zyn addiction is real and present. “The people I know who’ve used Zyn and have tried to quit usually aren’t able to stop,” Student A said. “A lot of my friends who use Zyns go from wanting to quit it, to keep hitting [nicotine] because they want to keep the buzz.” The Nobles Health Office and Psychology and Counseling Team emphasize the importance of helping students in these types of challenging situations. “Using Zyns would be something I hope kids would feel comfortable going to adults [about] if they or their friends were struggling and worried about their usage of this product,” Dean of Student Engagement and School Counselor Mark Spence said. “If a student comes to us seeking help, the discipline piece disappears and it’s really about the health and wellbeing of our kids.” Regardless of how the school finds out about a student’s use of Zyns, the well-being of the student is most important. Spence said, “If a student was caught using Zyns, safety and health would still be the top priority and concern.”
Because of the spitless and smokeless features, many people believe Zyns are a safer alternative to cigarettes and e-cigarettes. However, this is not the case. “There are many negative health effects associated with using nicotine pouches,” School Nurse Sheila Quinn said. “By using Zyns, you’re at increased risk for developing heart disease as well as oral, esophageal, breast, and other cancers.” Zyn use also causes immediate side effects like nausea, dizziness, jitteriness, vomiting, high blood pressure, and other cardiac issues. “The best harm reduction strategy is avoidance, that’s the only one. It wouldn’t be using in moderation, it wouldn’t be periodic use. It would be no use at all,” Quinn said.
The use of Zyn is real and widespread among the Nobles student body–a large problem that is rapidly growing. Because Zyn is marketed as healthier than tobacco or vaping, more students feel comfortable using the product. With more and more students using Zyn, student culture has changed, as social hierarchies and peer pressure are evident
